Arsenal has completed the signing of Spanish defender Pablo Mari from Flamengo, the club proclaimed on Wednesday afternoon.
The 26-year-old has moved to Emirates sports stadium on loan till the end of the 2019-20 campaign after finishing a medical in London.
The Gunners have had to pay an initial fee of around £4.25 million, and have the choice to sign the center-back for good within the summer.
Mari touched down in England with Arsenal technical director Edu at the weekend to iron out the final details of his move, however, had to return to Brazil after a breakdown in negotiations.
However, the Gunners continuing to pursue a deal and made a big breakthrough in talks with Flamengo at the start of the week.
Mari was granted permission to return to London and finalize his switch to the Emirates and will be in line to make his debut for the club this weekend.
The Gunners are present without Calum Chambers whereas he recovers from a heavy knee injury, and Shkodran Mustafi is probably going to be out for one or two of weeks after sustaining a sprained ankle joint throughout Monday’s fa Cup win over Bournemouth.
Mikel Arteta currently has an additional choice to think about at the back, with Mari joining David Luiz, Sokratis and Rob Holding in his defensive ranks.
Mari spent 3 years at Manchester City before joining Flamengo in 2019, however, they didn’t make a single senior appearance for the reigning Premier League champions.
He reached his best form to this point in Brazil, helping Jorge Jesus’s side win the Copa Libertadores whereas also featuring within the Club World Cup.
The Spaniard will currently be charged with aiding Arsenal’s challenge for a top-four end within the Premier League, with a troublesome trip to Burnley up next on Sunday.
If Arteta opts to leave Mari out of that fixture, he won’t appear for the club until after the winter break.
Arsenal is set to travel for a warm-weather training camp in Dubai before returning to action on February sixteen, as Newcastle make the trip all the way down to the Emirates.
The Gunners will then take in a Europa League round of thirty-two clashes against Olympiacos four days later, with the first leg happening in Greece at the Karaiskakis stadium.
